Pelatihan Pembuatan Herbarium Kering sebagai Upaya Peningkatan Keterampilan Identifikasi Tumbuhan bagi Siswa SMAN 6 Samarinda

Abstract

Students’ understanding of plant diversity within the school environment still needs to be strengthened, particularly in recognizing morphological characteristics and scientific names. This activity aimed to examine students’ perceptions of using dried herbarium specimens as a learning medium for plant identification at SMA Negeri 6 Samarinda. A descriptive quantitative approach was applied involving 37 tenth-grade students. The participants were organized into six groups and engaged in several activities, including a presentation of relevant concepts, plant observation, specimen collection, pressing, drying, morphological identification, and herbarium arrangement and decoration. Data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire and documentation, then analyzed descriptively using percentages. The findings indicated that students’ perceptions of the dried herbarium activity were categorized as very high, with an overall average score of 98.56%. The scores for material comprehension, practical skills, interest and motivation, perceived usefulness, and participant satisfaction were 99.14%, 98.28%, 97.70%, 100%, and 97.70%, respectively. These results demonstrate that dried herbarium activities can provide an engaging learning experience, encourage student participation, and support a more concrete understanding of plant identification. Therefore, dried herbarium specimens can serve as an effective, contextual, and enjoyable learning medium, provided that future activities allocate sufficient time for pressing, labeling, and specimen preparation, along with more intensive guidance during challenging stages.